Planter.



H. J. BROWN.

PLANTBR.

APPLIQATION FILED MAYQ, 1913.

1,084,532. Patented Jan. 13,1914.

2 SHBETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C04. WASHINGTON, u. c

H. J. BROWN PLANTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9, 1913. 1,084,532. Patented Jan. 13, 1914.

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ED; sra'rns PATENT onerous HARRY J. BROWN, F MOBEBLY, MISSOURI.

' nose 532.

Application filed May 9, 1913. Serial No. 766,553.

or receptacle and be conveyed to the ground.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and e'llicientvalve to cooperate with the carrier of the selecting mechanism for thepurpose of obstructing the opening of the bottom of the hopper throughwhich the carrier must pass.

A still further object of the invention isv to simplify and improve thegeneral construction of the planter.

With these and other ends in view which will readily appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same con sists in theimproved construction and novel arrangement and combination of partswhich will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferredform of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitationis necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited,but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of theclaims may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawings,Figure 1 is a side eleva tion of a potato planterconstructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a verticallongitudinal sectional view of the same taken on the line'2-2 in Fig. 3.Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 inFig. 4. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 4-4 inFig. 2. Fig. 5 is a perspective detail view, showing a portion of thebottom of the hopper including the valve and a portion of the carrierchain with one of the carriers. Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view,enlarged, taken on the line 6-6 in Fig. 2.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by likecharacters of reference. The frame 6 of the improved planter isSpecification of Letters Patent.

PLANTER.

Patented Jan. 13, 1914.

mounted on an axle 7 having transporting wheels 8. Suitably connectedwith the frame is a tongue 9 to which draft may be applied in thecustomary manner.

The frame supports a hopper or receptacle 10, the bottom of whichinclines downwardly and forwardly in the direction of a substantiallyhorizontal shelf 11 having an aperture 12. Seated on the shelf 11 surrounding the aperture 12 is the valve ring 13, the internal diameter ofwhich is larger than that of the aperture 12, said ring being providedwith a plurality of radially disposed inwardly extending tongues 14which are hingedly connected therewith and all of which terminate at ashort distance from the center of the aperture. The free ends of thetongues 14 normally gravitate downwardly and are supported on thatportion of the shelf 11 which is surrounded by the valve ring 13 andwhich is included between said valve ring and the walls of the aperture12. It will be seen that the aperture 12 is normally nearly obstructedby the tongues 14. The axle 7 carries a sprocket wheel 15, and a similarsprocket wheel 16 is supported for rotation partlyv the axle carryingfurrow opening disks 21,

said arms being connected by a link 22 with an adjusting lever 23. Inlike manner, arms 24 are pivoted on the axle from which they "extenddownwardly and rearwardly, said arms carrying covering disks 25 whichare connected by a link 26 with an adjusting lever 27. Stop means ofwell known construction are provided for maintaining the levers 23 and27, and hence the furrow openers and the covering disks at variousadjustments. The adjusting levers are placed within convenient reach ofthe driver or o erator for whom a seat 28 is provided.

Tli e sprocket wheel 15 is preferably connected with the axle 7 by meansof a spring actuated clutch 29 of well known construction, and wherebywhen the machine is traveling in a forward direction, the sprocket wheeland the endless chain 18 actuated thereby will be driven, while, whenthe ma-v chine is backed the clutch 29 will slip idly with respect tothe hub of the sprocket wheel. If desired, a lever may be utilized forthrowing the clutch 29, but as such an expedient is extremely common andwell known, it is deemed unnecessary to illustrate the same.

It will be readily seen that when this machine is in operation, and asupply of potatoes has been placed in the hopper 10, the furrow openingdisks and the covering disks will be set so as to engage the ground atthe proper depth. lVhen the machine advances the endless chain 18 willbe driven and the cups 19 passing upwardly through the aperture 12 inthe bottom of the hopper will lift the valve tongues 14: and passtherebetween'. As each cup ascends, a potato will gravitate into thesame and be seated thereon as long as a sufiicient supply is maintainedin the hopper. The potato will be carried upward by the cup 19 throughthe aperture 17 and be discharged downwardly through a spout 30, beingthereby conveyed to the ground where it is dropped in the furrow andsubsequently covered by the action of the covering disks. Disks arepreferred for the purpose of opening the furrow and covering the seedfor the reason thatthey are less liable to become obstructed with trashthan openers and coverers of other constructions. The tongues 14 willnormally obstruct the aperture 12 by gravity and prevent potatoes orpieces thereof dropping through said aperture.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is 2--v 1.In a planter of the class described, a hopper having a substantiallyhorizontal bottom shelf provided with an aperture and a bottom memberinclined downwardly in the direction thereof, a valve ring seated on theshelf surrounding and spaced from the aperture, a plurality of inwardlyextending radially disposed tongues hinged on the ring and supported on'that portion of the shelf included between the "ring and the p es of h pnt may b i eines or aperture, and a carrier including an endless 1 chainguided through the aperture and provided at intervals with cups wherebythe f tongues will be displaced upwardly, saidqt tongues being reseatedby gravity.

2. In a planter of the class described, an"

axle having supporting wheels, a frame mounted on the axle, a hoppersupported on the frame and having a substantially horizontal bottomshelf provided with a circular aperture and a bottom member inclineddownwardly in the direction thereof, a valve ring seated on the shelfsurrounding and spaced from the aperture, tongues hinged on the ring andextending inwardly toward the center thereof, said tongues overhangingthe aperture and being normally supported on that portion of the shelfwhich is included between the aperture and the valve ring, a sprocketwheel supported near the top of the hopper, a mating sprocket wheelsupported on the axle of the machine, an endless chain guided over thesprocket wheels and through the aperture in the bottom shelf of thehopper, and conveyer cups carried by said chain.

3. In a machine of the class described, an axle having supportingwheels, a frame mounted thereon, a hopper mounted on the frame andhaving a valved aperture in the bottom thereof, an endless chain guided!through said aperture and having conveyer cups, sprocket wheels overwhich the chain is guided, one of said wheels being mounted on thehopper and the other on the axle, a

conveyer spout on the front of the hopper through which the chain isguided, arms pivoted on and extending forwardly from the axle, furrowopening disks carried by said arms, arms pivoted on and extendingrearwardly from the axle, covering disks carried by said arms, and meansfor effecting vertical adjustment of the furrow openers and the coveringdisks and for maintaining said disks at various adjustments.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.HARRY J. BROIVN.

lVitnesses:

V RIEGEL, J. S. FLE ING.

cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of ratents. Washington, 13.0.

